---
title: 'Founding Hardware Engineer at Navi AI'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/founding-hardware-engineer-navi-ai-san-francisco-w69bj0taaqav'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-08'
---

# Founding Hardware Engineer at Navi AI

- **Company:** Navi AI
- **Location:** San Francisco, CA
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-03-26
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-08
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/navi/1d79f6cb-65c4-471d-8e99-70ed868d842d

## Job description

Navi captures everything a pilot sees and hears. The Wave is how we do it — the hardware that lives in the cockpit, captures flight data, and streams it to the cloud in real time. You're building the next generation of that device.

## ABOUT THE ROLE

This is a founding hardware role. You own the entire physical product — from bare-metal architecture through PCB design, ruggedized enclosure, embedded firmware, environmental certification, fleet deployment, and cloud integration. This is Version 2 of the Wave, and you are the definitive technical voice for every decision that shapes it.

The device has to survive cockpit environments — heat, vibration, RF noise — while continuously streaming high-bandwidth audio and telemetry over wireless networks without dropping a frame. It has to be deployable across hundreds of aircraft and manageable as a fleet. It has to meet certification standards for operating in aircraft. And it has to be built fast, because Navi is already live at flight schools and the U.S. Air Force and demand is accelerating.

If you thrive in high-autonomy environments and love building mission-critical edge devices that work in the real world — not on a bench — this is your role.

## WHAT YOU'LL DO

- Lead the end-to-end technical design of Navi's next-generation edge compute node — architecture, component selection, PCB layout, and mechanical enclosure
- Build hardware that is ruggedized for cockpit environments — thermal, vibrational, and environmental stress — and optimized for continuous wireless data transmission
- Architect real-time data pipelines for processing and streaming high-fidelity audio and complex telemetry from the edge to the cloud with minimal latency
- Own the hardware validation lifecycle — environmental testing, quality assurance, and securing regulatory and industry-specific certifications for hardware operating in aircraft
- Develop and oversee embedded firmware and edge processing logic — real-time operating systems, on-device compute, and fleet-wide OTA update infrastructure
- Guide the architecture of live cloud-based telemetry dashboards to ensure seamless data ingestion and real-time visibility from deployed devices
- Collaborate with software and ML engineers to ensure the hardware captures exactly what the intelligence layer needs to generate automated debriefs

## ABOUT YOU

- 7+ years of experience in systems engineering, embedded edge compute, or connected hardware development — with a track record of bringing a complex device to market, not just prototyping one
- Deep understanding of electronics design — PCB schematics, microcontrollers, wireless communication modules (cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth)
- Experience collaborating with industrial or mechanical designers to build ruggedized enclosures that survive challenging thermal, vibrational, and environmental conditions
- Strong proficiency in embedded C/C++ or Python for edge applications, with experience running RTOS or embedded Linux
- Familiarity with edge-to-cloud architecture, device fleet management, and building scalable live data infrastructure
- Hands-on experience navigating rigorous hardware certification processes and environmental testing standards
- You own projects end to end in ambiguous, fast-moving environments — and you ship

## NICE TO HAVE

- Experience with edge processing and lossless streaming of high-bandwidth data — real-time audio, complex signal processing, or continuous telemetry
- Background building hardware for aviation, defense, or other safety-critical regulated industries
- Familiarity with avionics data formats, cockpit audio systems, or aircraft electrical environments

## WHY THIS ROLE MATTERS

Every piece of intelligence Navi generates starts with the Wave. The AI is only as good as the data the hardware captures — and in a cockpit, there are no second chances. A dropped audio frame is a missed instructor callout. A connectivity gap is a blind spot in the debrief. You're building the device that makes the entire platform possible, and it has to work perfectly every single flight.

## WHAT YOU'LL GET

- Flight training — earn your pilot's license and build with true domain expertise
- Impact you can see — the device you build will be in cockpits at flight schools, airlines, and the U.S. Air Force
- A role that scales into hardware leadership as we grow

## HOW WE WORK

- Find a way. We don't wait for permission or perfect information. Ideas come from anywhere regardless of title. Figure it out, ship it, iterate.
- Creativity over control. First principles over process. We'd rather have a creative solution that's 80% right today than a perfect one next quarter.
- Update fast. Come in with a hypothesis, throw it away when the data says otherwise. Ego has no place here.
- Intensity with focus. We work hard because the mission demands it. Clarity on what matters is how we make that sustainable.

## About Navi AI

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Navi AI builds the first purpose-built generative AI platform for aviation, providing an AI co-pilot for pilot training that turns every aircraft into a data source to deliver automated, data-driven flight debriefs and safety intelligence.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Seed stage)
- **Headquarters**: San Francisco, California, USA (also has an office in Bengaluru, India)
- **Founded**: 2024
- **Founders**: Nikola Kostic (CEO) and Vivek Velivela (CTO)

## Core Business
- **Primary Industry**: Aviation Technology / Aerospace / Defense / Artificial Intelligence
- **Target Customers**: B2B — flight schools (Part 141), universities (aerospace programs), and military/defense organizations (U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School).
- **Mission/Purpose Statement**: To make aviation safety proactive — starting in training. Navi gives every pilot and squadron the intelligence edge they deserve.

## Products & Services
- **Navi AI Platform**: An AI-driven platform that ingests cockpit audio, aircraft telemetry, and environmental data (weather, traffic, aircraft history) to generate moment-by-moment, automated flight debriefs. It provides 40–50 key insights per flight through text, visuals, and animations. The platform is grounded in the flight school’s syllabus, POH, PHAK, and FAA regulations.
- **AI Debrief Assistant**: A context-aware conversational AI that trainee pilots can query about their performance, referencing their own flight data, standard operating procedures, and FAA regulations.
- **Automated Maneuver Analysis**: Analyzes intent, behavior, and performance for every maneuver during a flight, aligning outputs to the specific lesson or maneuver being taught.
- **Full Sortie Replay**: Provides a phase-by-phase breakdown of every training flight from engine start to shutdown.
- **Institutional Analytics (FOQA+)**: Goes beyond traditional FOQA by combining flight data with instructor interactions, environmental data, and procedural context, giving flight academies real-time visibility into trainee progression, trend analysis, and early safety pattern detection.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: Not publicly available (seed-stage company).
- **Key Metric – Total Funding**: $6.7 million raised to date.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**:
    - **United Airlines Ventures** (strategic investor)
    - **BVVC** (lead investor)
    - **New Vista Capital**
    - **Raptor Group**
    - **I2BF**
    - **U.S. Department of War** ($1.27M SBIR Phase II grant)
    - **Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University** (strategic partner and equity stakeholder)
    - **Garmin** (technology partnership, integrated with their avionics ecosystem)
- **Growth Signals**:
    - Launched from stealth in March 2026 with $6.7M in funding.
    - First commercial deployment in September 2024 with Sling Pilot Academy; now logging 55,000+ flight hours annually at Sling.
    - Platform deployed or under evaluation at leading flight schools: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, University of North Dakota, Purdue University, Utah State University, Delta State University, and the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School.
    - Plans to hire 15 additional employees in 2026 (currently 7 employees), aggressively scaling the team.
    - Has a $1.27M SBIR Phase II contract from the U.S. Department of War to adapt its platform for the T-38 fleet at Edwards AFB.

## Competitive Advantages
- **First-Mover in AI-Powered Debriefing**: No other company offers a purpose-built, commercially operational generative AI platform specifically for pilot training that automates post-flight analysis.
- **Domain-Specific LLM**: Trained on 100,000+ real flight hours, analyzing intent, behavior, and performance — not just generic AI.
- **Deep Institutional Partnerships**: Already embedded in the world's largest aerospace university (Embry-Riddle) and working with the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, providing credibility and a strong go-to-market signal.
- **Strategic Backing**: Backed by United Airlines Ventures (a direct channel to commercial aviation) and the U.S. Department of War, giving it a dual commercial and defense pathway.
- **Real-World Traction**: 55,000+ flight hours annually processed at Sling Pilot Academy, proving the product works at scale in a live training environment.

## Strategic Focus
- **Near-term**: Dominate the U.S. pilot training market by equipping every training aircraft with the Navi platform.
- **Medium-term**: Expand into commercial aviation, applying the same real-time analysis and performance intelligence to airline operations.
- **Defense**: Adapt and scale the platform for military use (U.S. Air Force), starting with the Test Pilot School and the T-38 fleet.
- **Product**: Continue to deepen the integration with Garmin avionics and expand the platform's ability to ingest more data sources.

## Why Work Here
- **High-Impact Mission**: Work directly on making aviation safer, with a tangible product already in use by pilots and the military. The company culture emphasizes building for a critical national need ("Your country needs you").
- **Early-Stage, High-Growth**: With only 7 employees and a plan to hire 15 more, this is a true seed-stage startup where new hires will define the product, culture, and engineering practices from the ground up.
- **Engineering-Centric**: The open roles (Founding Software Engineer, ML/AI Founding Engineer, Founding Hardware Engineer, Deployment Engineer) indicate a deep focus on core product engineering and infrastructure.
- **On-Site / Hybrid**: San Francisco headquarters is primarily in-office; Bengaluru office also exists. The company favors on-site work for its core team.
- **Fast-Paced Culture**: The careers page signals an expectation of high agency: "if ten things a day sounds like a slow Tuesday - we need you."
- **Interesting Tech Stack**: Working with cockpit telemetry, audio, domain-specific LLMs, avionics integration (Garmin), and real-time data pipelines — a mix of hardware, software, and AI.
- **Founding Team Access**: Opportunity to work directly with the co-founders (Nikola Kostic, CEO; Vivek Velivela, CTO) and shape the company's technical direction.

## Sources
1. [flynavi.com](https://www.flynavi.com/)
2. [flynavi.com/careers](https://www.flynavi.com/careers)
3. [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/navi-ai)
4. [flynavi.com/newsroom](https://www.flynavi.com/newsroom)
5. [prnewswire.com](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/navi-ai-emerges-from-stealth-to-accelerate-pilot-training-with-ai-302724509.html)
6. [jobs.ashbyhq.com/navi](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/navi)

## Other roles at Navi AI

- [Intern - Device Build](https://feeny.ai/job/intern-device-build-navi-ai-san-francisco-xscsg8yw7qf1) — San Francisco, CA
- [Part-time CFI](https://feeny.ai/job/part-time-cfi-navi-ai-san-francisco-rg9jj8vsp9qs) — San Francisco, CA
- [Infrastructure Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/infrastructure-engineer-navi-ai-san-francisco-jc3wsjez8qm6) — San Francisco, CA
- [Founding Go-to-Market Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/founding-go-to-market-lead-navi-ai-san-francisco-dfrx47rngsm4) — San Francisco, CA
- [Business Development Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/business-development-lead-navi-ai-san-francisco-0h8z796s0x6q) — San Francisco, CA
- [Forward Deployed Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/forward-deployed-engineer-navi-ai-san-francisco-px34xzw2j97k) — San Francisco, CA
- [ML/AI Founding Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/ml-ai-founding-engineer-navi-ai-san-francisco-r77ng00bz1df) — San Francisco, CA
- [Founding Software Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/founding-software-engineer-navi-ai-san-francisco-akpvm8bmqk5e) — San Francisco, CA